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Natural Alternatives International, Inc. Announces 2022 Q3 and YTD Results

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The company announced a net income of $2.5 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, on net sales of $42.4 million for the third quarter of the fiscal year 2022 compared to a net income of $1.9 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, in the third quarter of the prior fiscal year.
Net sales during the three months ended March 31, 2022, decreased $3.9 million, or 8.5%, to $42.4 million as compared to $46.3 million recorded in the comparable prior year period. During the same period, private-label contract manufacturing sales decreased 10.8% to $37.6 million. Private-label contract manufacturing sales decreased primarily due to a 40% reduction in sales to our largest customer partially offset by sales to other existing customers and a new customer. Sales backlog for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, totalled approximately $10.0 million primarily related to supply chain issues, labour shortages, and logistical constraints.

CarnoSyn® beta-alanine royalty, licensing and raw material sales revenue increased 15.2% to $4.8 million during the third quarter of the fiscal year 2022, as compared to $4.1 million for the third quarter of the fiscal year 2021. The increase in patent and trademark licensing revenue during the third quarter of fiscal 2022 was primarily due to increased shipments to existing customers related in part to athletic activities and gyms reopening in accordance with easing COVID-19 restrictions across the USA as compared to significant restrictions in athletic activities primarily impacting the first nine months of fiscal 2021.

Net income for the nine months ended March 31, 2022, was $7.6 million, or $1.22 per diluted share, compared to net income of $7.8 million, also $1.22 per diluted share, for the nine months ended March 31, 2021. Net income for the first nine months of fiscal 2021 included a $0.9 million discrete tax benefit while the first nine months of fiscal 2022 did not have a corresponding discrete item.

Net sales during the nine months ended March 31, 2022, decreased $15.7 million, or 11.7%, from $134.1 million recorded in the comparable prior year period. For the nine months ended March 31, 2022, private-label contract manufacturing sales decreased by $19.7 million, or 15.8%, from the comparable period last year. CarnoSyn® beta-alanine royalty, licensing and raw material sales revenue increased 41.7% to $13.5 million during the first nine months of fiscal 2022, as compared to $9.6 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2021.

Based on our current sales order volumes and forecasts we have received from our customers, and despite the continued challenges with supply chain and staffing shortages, including challenges from COVID-19 employee absences, we now anticipate our consolidated net sales during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 will increase between 18.0% to 21.0% as compared to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. We also anticipate operating income as a percent of net sales will increase to between 9.0% and 12.0% for our fourth quarter ending June 30, 2022. The improvement in net sales and operating profitability is expected to be generated from continued growth from one of our newest customers, improved sales demand from our largest customer, improved sales mix and improved staffing levels which will increase our production capacities.

As of March 31, 2022, we had cash of $18.6 million and working capital of $53.8 million, compared to $32.1 million and $58.3 million respectively, as of June 30, 2021. As of March 31, 2022, we had $20.0 million available under our line of credit agreement.

Mark A. Le Doux, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NAI stated, “Considering our ongoing staffing and supply chain challenges combined with a decline in sales from our largest customer, we are pleased with the results of our third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2022. We successfully increased the capacity of our Vista California facility with the installation of a new high-capacity blender, which increased our throughput potential and enabled us to better meet the demands of our customers while we continue construction on our new powder facility. While we were able to partially reduce our backlog going into the fourth quarter, demand remains strong, and we are continuing to add staff and navigate supply chain challenges. We expect to make significant strides to further reduce our backlog during our fourth quarter.”

“We will continue to utilize our robust balance sheet and free cash flow to drive shareholder value through both share buybacks and investments in our business. We continue to believe our stock is trading well below the true value of our Company.”

“I am proud of the efforts of our team as they have diligently navigated the mercurial landscapes of staffing and supply chain combined with the evolving needs of our clients. We still see significant opportunity for growth in both the near and long term and I believe the foundation we have laid over the past couple of years will pave the way for future growth opportunities.”

Agora Brands Announces Transformational $83.5-Million Investment to Drive Aggressive Acquisition, Technology and Growth Strategy

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Agora Brands, a leading E-commerce aggregator specializing in the Shopify ecosystem, is thrilled to announce an $83.5-million growth-capital investment led by Toronto-based Maverix Private Equity, with participation from Palo Alto-based Foundation Capital and Victory Park Capital. Maverix Managing Partner Michael Wasserman has joined Agora’s board of directors, along with Jonathan Ehrlich, a partner at Foundation Capital.

The company’s business model is to acquire small-to-medium sized direct-to-consumer (D2C) businesses with $1–20 million in annual revenues, primarily within the Shopify ecosystem. The founders of those businesses benefit by continuing to build their brands, strengthened by the power of the shared services and operational efficiencies delivered by Agora’s aggregated model.

Company founders Jesse Horwitz, Ben Cogan and Ray Cao have extensive track records in building and growing digitally native e-commerce brands. With experience that includes Harry’s, Clearco and Hubble, among others, Agora’s founders understand the value that shared knowledge and a vast network can drive. Its mission is to build a collective whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts, allowing the brands they acquire to not only leverage the centralized buying power and services available through an aggregated model but also take advantage of one another’s expertise.

“We’re creating an environment that truly facilitates the right connections for the founders of the brands we acquire,” says Ray Cao, one of Agora’s founders. “They are constantly advising each other, allowing each of them to tap into expertise they might otherwise never have access to. One person might have experience with optimizing Google ad words, while another knows a lot about reducing shipping costs. Together they become this really powerful vault of institutional knowledge that helps them scale up and grow their businesses faster and more successfully than they could ever do on their own.”  

Investors see strength in Agora’s aggressively high-growth, disruptive business strategy
“Agora is a perfect representation of our growth investment thesis,” says Wasserman. “We invest in outstanding people and high-growth businesses that are using technology to disrupt a traditional industry, in this case, retail and E-commerce. We’re thrilled to partner with this team to allow them to grow even faster and help more brands become part of the Agora family.”

Ecommerce sales skyrocketed during the pandemic, and despite some acute macroeconomic challenges, U.S. retail E-commerce sales are projected to continue growing rapidly at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5%, becoming a $1.65-trillion market by 2026. Wasserman says Agora’s focus on businesses that use the Shopify ecosystem allows it many degrees of freedom to add value to its partner brands.

To date, Agora has acquired brands and businesses across a wide range of D2C categories, including automotive, apparel, personal wellness products and home goods. “This investment is a tremendous vote of confidence in our leadership and our vision,” added Ray. “We’ve been pursuing an aggressively high-growth strategy, and this will help us grow even faster. It will also help us strengthen our operational infrastructure, including growing our centralized support functions such as finance and HR, and a portion of this capital will go toward developing technology that will drive automation and institutionalize processes under the Agora banner.”

“There is a tremendous amount of promise in this team’s vision,” adds Ehrlich. “That combined with their expertise and their rock-solid execution make their future incredibly bright, and we’re very proud to be a part of it.”

Ancient Nutrition Announces Greatest Mission Yet: To Save the World with Superfoods

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We only have 60 years of farmable land left if we sustain our current levels of farming, according to Senior UN Officials. Today, it’s well-known that conventional farming practices harm our soil, and reduce ecological diversity with the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides and inhumane livestock practices, all of which increase CO2 emissions. Leading dietary supplement brand, Ancient Nutrition has decided to become part of the solution by creating a pioneering effort in the area of regenerative agriculture.

Ancient Nutrition is on a mission to save the world with superfoods – and they’re sharing that mission with the debut of their first ever brand anthem, titled “Believe”. Developed in partnership with renowned global production studio The Mill and director Bowe King, the anthem showcases the brand’s unwavering belief that proper nutrition through regenerative organic superfoods will go a long way towards our shared goals of healing the planet, feeding the world and transforming the health of every individual.

“Believe” highlights Ancient Nutrition’s core truth: that our health is interconnected with the health of the planet. How ingredients are grown and produced has an immeasurable effect on their quality, which ultimately impacts your health – and in turn the impact you’ll have on your community and the world. And while solutions to reversing traditional practices are invariably complex, empowering people to believe that the choices we make and actions we take, can have the ability to propel us forward. Simply put, “Believe” is the brand’s rallying cry and commitment to regenerative farming practices that promote soil health, sequester carbon from the atmosphere and undo the damage caused by conventional agriculture.

Coinciding with the anthem release, Ancient Nutrition has announced that 1% of all revenue will be dedicated to the RANCH Project – the brand’s commitment to Regenerative Agriculture, Nutrition & Climate Health.

“With every purchase of an Ancient Nutrition product, consumers become part of our mission to transform the health of the planet, as we work towards our goal of planting 10 million superfood trees over the next 10 years on our regenerative organic farms in Tennessee and Missouri,” said Ancient Nutrition founder and CEO Jordan Rubin.

The anthem will be seen across streaming platforms and will appear on Discovery Channel, Paramount, Bravo, and HGTV, among others. Dedicated PR and social programming will complement the message, bringing “Believe” to life across multiple channels.

Naturopaths and chiropractors have the lowest vaccination rates in B.C., officials say

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After months of data gathering, British Columbia shared that 93.9 percent of regulated healthcare workers were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of April 25.

B.C’s health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry released a breakdown of vaccination rates among each profession, based on data gathered from 17 of B.C.’s 18 regulated colleges. The College of Nurses and Midwives was not included because of a high volume of registered workers.

“I hope to see this is reassuring to people and leads to conversations about the importance of getting the vaccination,” Henry said.

Dieticians, physicians and surgeons lead the way, with vaccination rates of 98 percent, followed by occupational therapists at 97 percent.

The lowest rates are among traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists at 79 percent, chiropractors at 78.1 percent and naturopaths at 69.2 percent.

Henry said the province is still working with the colleges on how to notify patients about their practitioner’s vaccination status.

“We are working with each college on how to build it into professional standards. The overriding principle is patient status,” she told a news conference.

“It may be things like when you call to book, you are asked whether you would prefer to see a vaccinated or unvaccinated professional. We are trying to protect privacy and provide agency to make the decision.”

Back in March, Henry announced she would no longer require all health workers to be vaccinated, except for those in acute and long-term care, but that the colleges would still be able to confidentially collect their vaccination status, and in some cases, provide it to patients so that they can decide whether to book an in-person or virtual appointment.

Full list of vaccination rates by regulated profession:

• Audiologists/hearing instrument practitioners: 91.9%
• Chiropractors: 78.1%
• Dental hygienists: 92.6%
• Dental technicians: 90.7%
• Dentists: 95.9%
• Dental assistants: 92.8%
• Denturists: 92.9%
• Dieticians: 98%
• Massage therapists: 87.9%
• Naturopathic physicians: 69.2%
• Occupational therapists: 96.9%
• Opticians: 94.9%
• Optometrists: 96.0%
• Pharmacists: 96.7%
• Pharmacy technicians: 96.8%
• Physical therapists: 95.2%
• Physicians and surgeons: 98.0%
• Psychologists: 96.1%
• Speech-language pathologists: 92.9%
• Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists: 79.0%

previously published: https://globalnews.ca/

Research Shows Pycnogenol® French Maritime Pine Bark Extract Is a Key Natural Supplement to Support Women’s Health Throughout Life

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Women’s health goals and concerns evolve and change with age. In observance of National Women’s Health Month during May, experts are highlighting Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract as a leading supplement for women’s health throughout life. The super antioxidant is supported by a vast catalogue of research demonstrating its widespread benefits for supporting skin, cognitive and joint health and managing menstrual pain, UTIs and menopause.
“Women’s Health Month is a time for women to make their health and well-being a top priority. A woman’s health goals and concerns will change with age and a science-backed supplement like Pycnogenol® presents an opportunity to develop a daily routine that delivers benefits throughout your life stages,” says renowned natural health physician and author, Dr. Fred Pescatore.

Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract is a proven, unique, standardized blend of powerful natural antioxidants. It has four basic properties that work to provide benefits to the entire body, especially for women’s health. Pycnogenol® acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, supports the generation of collagen and hyaluronic acid and aids in the production of endothelial nitric oxide, which helps to dilate blood vessels.

Early Life

“Early in life, especially from their late teens to early 30s, millions of women experience painful menstrual periods that can make days miserable and even make them miss school or work. Many women also experience an increased risk for developing UTIs during this time,” says Dr. Pescatore.

Daily supplementation with Pycnogenol® has been shown to reduce abdominal discomfort by 80 percent and cramping by 77 percent in women experiencing troubled menstrual periods. With its antioxidant properties, Pycnogenol® is also effective at reducing infection occurrence and decreasing painful symptoms, like burning and itching when urinating, for those who suffer from urinary tract infections.

Perimenopause & Menopause

“Menopause is a condition women will experience for approximately one-third of their lifetime and perimenopause can bring agonizing symptoms years before that due to disruptive hormonal shifts,” says Dr. Pescatore.

For those looking for a safe, natural alternative shown to improve perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes and nightly sweating, menstrual problems, memory and concentration problems, anxiety, nervousness, sleeping problems and others, while having no impact on hormonal levels, Pycnogenol® provides a must-try option.

For perimenopausal women, studies have also shown that those who supplemented with Pycnogenol® saw a significant reduction of cardiovascular risk marker, homocysteine.

Post-Menopause

“Joint health and cognitive health are concerns women in their 50s and 60s face as mobility and cognition tend to decline with age,” says Dr. Pescatore. “I often remind my patients to be proactive with their joint and cognitive health earlier in life to reduce risk and support their goals to live life more on your terms through advanced age.”

Those who suffer from joint discomfort often rely on pain medication. Pycnogenol® provides a natural option that, in various studies, has shown joints were more flexible and less medication was required after supplementation. Pycnogenol® also has been shown to boost overall cognitive performance, including daily decision making and stress management, for those over age fifty-five.

Comvita Commits to Saving 10 Million Bees Through its Bee Rescue Program in Celebration of World Bee Day

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The company announced the second year of its bee rescue program, partnering with beekeepers and rescuers to relocate hives set to be terminated. Bees are critical to pollination and the survival of the global ecosystem, but populations are rapidly declining. Building on the success of its debut campaign in 2021, when the brand rescued 5 million bees, Comvita has pledged to save 10 million bees in honour of World Bee Day on May 20, 2022. Comvita will work with independent beekeepers across the U.S. to provide the resources they desperately need to safely remove and relocate hives. These hives will be placed in areas where they can thrive, saving bees and ultimately benefiting bee populations.
Climate issues have been causing bees to perish at a staggering rate for several years. A 50% decline in bee colonies in the United States has negatively impacted our ecosystem and the world’s food supply. The bee rescuers sponsored by Comvita will relocate at-risk wild hives to safe and protected areas where the hives can successfully pollinate and live in harmony with local communities.

“Comvita has long been considered a trusted partner to beekeepers on both a global and local scale, so it was only natural for us to continue our bee rescue program this year and up the ante by doubling our commitment,” said Corey Blick, SVP of Comvita North America. “The wellbeing of bees has been a priority since our founders got together in 1974 to form Comvita. We are called upon to support the crucial work of independent beekeepers, and provide education around the vital importance of bee welfare. At Comvita, we want to see a world where we can all live in harmony with bees and nature.”

Comvita has partnered with beekeepers across the U.S. to provide grants to complete 200 beehive rescues within their respective local communities, as well as offer assistance to fellow beekeepers in other regions to perform rescues. Relocated hives will be maintained by local beekeepers to ensure the health of the queen bee and the hive overall. Beekeeper partners will chronicle their experiences with hive rescues in real-time across Comvita’s social media channels along with education surrounding rescue practices and other related topics.

Hilary Kearney, the founder of Girl Next Door Honey, is a celebrated San Diego-based beekeeper and one of the advocates Comvita is working with to provide resources for hive rescues. “Honey bees are up against so many stressors––pesticides, lack of food, climate change. I’m proud to collaborate for the second year in a row with a brand like Comvita that recognizes the need for action and so highly prioritizes the vitality of these critical pollinators,” said Kearney.

Comvita is widely known for elevating and redefining the Manuka honey category by upholding standards that exceed rigorous certifications for product quality and efficacy. Harvested from the pristine forests of New Zealand, Comvita is known for offering the most premium, pure, well-researched, and sustainably sourced Manuka honey available on the market. Comvita’s profile of Manuka honey offerings includes Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) ratings to guarantee significant levels of Manuka’s strongest bioactive compounds, the gold standard in Manuka ratings backed by the New Zealand government for its verification of quality and potency.

Part of Comvita’s ethos is to continuously deliver on its mission to create exceptional products that honour the work of the world’s greatest pollinators. In celebration of World Bee Day Comvita is offering 25% off all products, sitewide on comvita.com, for the month of May.

Dunkin’, Beyond Meat sued over trademark violation on plant-based breakfast sandwich

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A Philadelphia-based vegan food company is accusing Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat of stealing its slogan.

The donut chain and the plant-based meat giant partnered a few years ago to create a vegan breakfast sandwich which was sold in Dunkin’ stores.

A Philadelphia company has sued Dunkin’ Brands Inc and Beyond Meat Inc claiming the companies violated its trademark with their “Great Taste, Plant-Based” slogan for a meatless sausage breakfast sandwich.
Vegadelphia Foods said in its lawsuit filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida that it trademarked the slogan “Where Great Taste is Plant-Based” years before Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat introduced their Beyond Sausage Sandwich and joint marketing campaign.

Vegadelphia’s said ads for the sandwich “flooded” the market and would likely confuse potential customers. Canton, Massachusetts-based Dunkin’ launched its Beyond Sausage Sandwich in 2019 but media reports have said the chain dropped it from most of its store menus last year.

Dunkin’ and Beyond Meat did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Vegadelphia said in a statement Friday that Dunkin’ and Beyond’s “blatant use of our slogan and lack of response gave us the impression that they felt they are above the law.”

Vegadelphia sells plant-based beef and chicken through distributors on the East Coast and in El Meson Sandwiches restaurants in Puerto Rico and Florida. The company was founded in 2004 and received a federal trademark for its slogan in 2015.

In addition to the allegedly misleading slogan, Vegadelphia said Dunkin’s advertisements used font and “sunray” backdrop that resemble its ads, which is called “beyond coincidence.”

The lawsuit said Beyond’s application for a trademark almost identical to “Great Taste, Plant-Based” was rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2020 based on likely confusion with Vegadelphia’s mark.

Vegadelphia asked the court to block Dunkin’ and Beyond from using the slogan and requested an undisclosed amount of money damages. (Reporting by Blake Brittain; Editing by David Bario and Cynthia Osterman)

Sobeys Inc. partners with Kids Help Phone to support Black and Indigenous-focused child and youth mental health programs

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The company has announced Kids Help Phone as a new partner in its Family of Support: Child and Youth Mental Health Initiative (“Family of Support”). This new partnership will support two community-based mental health programs Kids Help Phone, RiseUp and Finding Hope, to connect Black and Indigenous youth to real-time virtual counselling and crisis help. Each program provides 24/7 support for vulnerable youth, with the support of volunteer champions, counsellors and community advisors from Black and Indigenous communities. With Sobeys Inc.’s support, the RiseUp and Finding Hope programs have significant growth plans to help even more youth in Canada.
“Truly national, instantaneous mental health support is vital to address and support child and youth mental health challenges in critically underserved communities across the country,” said Katherine Hay, President & CEO, of Kids Help Phone. “Thank you to Sobeys Inc. for this tremendous partnership, which will strengthen our programs in areas such as crisis response, community outreach, skill development, response times and more. These improvements will drive meaningful change for Black and Indigenous youth and help shift the child and youth mental health landscape in Canada.”

RiseUp, powered by Kids Help Phone in partnership with the BlackNorth initiative, is Canada’s only 24/7, bilingual e-mental health support for Black youth, which addresses their unique struggles and experiences compounded by anti-Black systemic racism. The RiseUp program, in collaboration with community partners, focuses on supporting the Black community and Afro-diaspora. RiseUp facilitated 24,000 phone and text conversations with Black youth in 2021, with a goal to grow to 60,000 conversations by 2025.

Finding Hope is a national action plan focused on creating the capacity for Kids Help Phone to better connect with Indigenous youth – who face some of the most difficult mental health challenges in Canada, and significant barriers to accessing services and connection. Finding Hope is led, co-created and governed by an Indigenous Advisory Council, connecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities with Indigenous volunteers and counsellors. Finding Hope’s goal is to connect Indigenous youth to virtual counselling and crisis response programs one million times by 2025.

“We’ve partnered with Kids Help Phone for so many years and the way they stood up to support youth across Canada during the pandemic has been nothing short of amazing,” said Michael Medline, President and CEO, of Empire. “We have so much confidence in the integrated program that has been created in partnership with both Black and Indigenous community leaders and are proud to see this programming evolve to provide a focus on supporting early intervention for Black and Indigenous youth.”

Through its Family of Support, Sobeys Inc. continues to support early intervention initiatives to support child and youth mental health at 13 children’s hospitals across Canada. Sobeys Inc.’s partnership with the Sobey Foundation and Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations was the inaugural investment for Family of Support, resulting in more than $9 million raised to date for 13 children’s hospital foundations across Canada. Like Kids Help Phone, Sobeys Inc. is also a proud partner of the BlackNorth initiative.

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #selfcare #selflove #anxiety #love #mentalhealthmatters #depression #motivation #health #wellness #mindfulness #healing #fitness #life #loveyourself #therapy #inspiration #happiness #mindset #positivity #positivevibes #quotes #meditation #mentalillness #psychology #wellbeing #recovery #ihrmagazine #happy  @sobeys @kidshelpphone

The government of Canada invests $12.2M in Mental Health Promotion

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Any Canadians struggle with mental health issues, but certain people in Canada face disproportionate challenges when it comes to mental health because of racism, discrimination, socio-economic status or social exclusion. The Government of Canada remains committed to promoting positive mental health for everyone, recognizing how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health and substance use of many people in Canada.
During Mental Health Week, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health announced an investment of $12.2 million for 10 projects across Canada to promote mental health and wellbeing in our communities.
The funding is being provided through the Government of Canada’s Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF). The MHP-IF supports community-based programs in mental health promotion to increase health equity and address the underlying determinants of health. It also supports the development and implementation of culturally focused mental health programs for the mental health of refugees and new Canadians, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, 2SLGBTQI+ and youth and families.
Promoting mental health results in individual and population health benefits, including improved physical health, faster recovery from illness, healthier behaviours, higher levels of education and employment combined with a reduction of health inequities.

Quotes
“The past two years have been especially challenging for all of us. The Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund supports community-led solutions to promote mental health and address the root causes of poor mental health and mental illness, especially for Indigenous youth. Our government will continue to support projects with a holistic approach to healing by supporting individuals, families and communities.”

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and Associate Minister of Health

“In these very difficult times (war, COVID, etc.), we are honoured to support refugee and newcomer children, youth and their parents. The funding from PHAC provides the necessary tools and supports around their mental health to enhance their opportunity to integrate into Canadian society.”

Margaret von Lau
Chief Executive Officer, Newcomers Employment and Education Development Services (N.E.E.D.S.) Inc.

Quick Facts
• One in three Canadians will be affected by mental illness in their lifetime.
• Community-based projects focused on mental health promotion have the potential to improve health outcomes over the life course.
• Promoting mental health has several individuals and population health benefits, including improved physical health, faster recovery from illness, healthier behaviours, higher educational achievement and increased employability combined with a reduction of health inequities.
• Funding announced today has been distributed through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund (MHP-IF). More information on the projects can be found here.
• Through the MHP-IF, the Government of Canada is investing $46.3 million from 2019-2029 to promote mental health among children, youth, and their caregivers.

The Government of Canada is committed to supporting people in Canada with their mental health through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. If you or a loved one is struggling, you can access the Wellness Together Canada portal, or call 1-866-585-0445 or text WELLNESS to 741741 (adults) or 686868 (youth). The Wellness Together Canada portal provides free access to educational content, self-guided therapy, moderated peer-to-peer support, and one-to-one counselling with qualified health professionals.

Ben & Jerry’s Pilot Project Plans to Cut Dairy Farm GHG Emissions to Half of Industry Average by 2024

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Ben & Jerry’s is making a bold commitment to bring greenhouse gas emissions on 15 dairy farms to half the industry average by the end of 2024. Once proven, pilot project initiatives will be expanded to farms across Ben & Jerry’s global dairy supply chain.
Tom Bellavance’s Sunset Lake Farm in Vermont will participate in Ben & Jerry’s pilot project to determine the best ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions on dairy farms. Photo: Ben & Jerry’s
“This approach to dairy farming could be a game changer,” said Jenna Evans, Global Sustainability Manager for Ben & Jerry’s. “It has the potential to make a meaningful reduction in emissions on dairy farms and help fight the worst effects of climate change. All of us, especially businesses, must take action before it’s too late and the climate crisis makes our world uninhabitable.”
Dairy ingredients account for more than 50% of Ben & Jerry’s total greenhouse gas emissions, so the company is focusing on dairy farms as the best opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint. “Project Mootopia,” as the pilot has been dubbed, will use regenerative agricultural practices and new technology to address:

Enteric emissions—managing methane-producing cow burps through a high-quality forage diet and innovative rumen modifiers that act as a digestive aid.

Manure—managed through methane reduction technology such as digesters and separators, which reduce the need for commercial fertilizer.
Feed crops— using regenerative practices to grow more grass and other feed crops to maintain healthy soils, increase carbon sequestration, improve the use of grassland, lower synthetic inputs, promote biodiversity, and raise the percentage of homegrown feed.
The pilot project will also promote renewable energy on dairy farms and continue Ben & Jerry’s tradition of meeting high animal welfare standards. The 15 participating farms will be split between members of the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) cooperative in the US and CONO Kaasmakers in the Netherlands.

“Too often, corporations buy up carbon offsets from somewhere else to claim they are ‘carbon neutral,” said Taylor Ricketts of the Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont. “Ben & Jerry’s is taking a more meaningful and direct approach: attacking the systemic causes of climate change in its own supply chain to achieve measurable, Science Based Targets. As they have done so often, Ben & Jerry’s is walking the talk and leading the way,” Ricketts said.

“The intensive cooperation between research, advisors and farmers is the key to developing tailored mitigation methods that are feasible, affordable and safe,” said Theun Vellinga from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. “We have constructed the ‘Mitigation Engine’ as a tool to combine the science around GHG mitigation with the knowledge and experience of the farmer. We cannot stick to one mitigation option only; there is no silver bullet. But a package of options will help us reach the target reduction,” Vellinga said.

Ben & Jerry’s received $9.3 million to prove and scale regenerative practices on dairy farms from the Climate and Nature Fund of its parent corporation, Unilever.  With Ben & Jerry’s commitment to dairy farm worker rights through Milk with Dignity, Project Mootopia is expected to help the company meet the emerging demand for delicious ice cream that is climate-friendly and socially just.

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